The Blog

Your Health is Your Wealth

Since I’m married to a medical school student, it seems like all we talk about in our home is health.

My husband sees many people during the day who have trouble staying healthy, and many times, they are suffering from longtime illnesses caused by not taking care of themselves throughout their lives.

Being healthy is so much more than going on a fad diet. It really is all about a lifestyle and making positive, permanent changes in your life.

Many people place the focus on their “beach body” or trying to wear a certain size when they start a diet, but honestly, the biggest motivator should be long term health and by extension, less expensive health bills!

Here are some ways that your health is your wealth:

1. Prescriptions

Sure we’re all going to need a prescription from time to time, but when you place a focus on you health, you will get sick less often. You can eliminate many medicines such as cholesterol medications simply by altering your lifestyle. The less you have to pay for prescriptions, the more money you can have in your pocket for other things. You’ll also spend less money driving to the pharmacy, less time waiting in line, and experience less stress because you won’t have to fit in another errand into your busy life.

2. Doctors Visits

Visiting the doctor is great, but if you go often, you have to pay multiple co-pays which can definitely put a damper on your monthly budget. Plus, most doctors conduct business during normal daytime hours, so you’ll likely have to take time off of work, which might be paid or unpaid. Your coworkers could start to resent you if you take too much time off, and you’ll have a loss of productivity. Many people can work remotely on their tablets or phones, but if you aren’t feeling well, chances are you won’t progress as quickly as you’d like in your career.

3. Groceries

Many people have the misconception that healthy food is more expensive. I mean, it’s true that a happy mean costs less than a meal you’d buy at the grocery; however, rarely do people talk about long term costs. A happy meal might be cheaper now, but if you insist on fast food frequently throughout the week, there are going to be some health related consequences down the road that can cost you far more than the few dollars you saved during that one time you went through the drive through.

Honestly, what’s most important in all of this is that you enjoy your life and enjoy your family. A great way to do that is by taking care of yourself so that you live a long time. An extra bonus of that is you can have more discretionary spending to spend your life the way you want. We all struggle with our health at different points in our life, and there are going to be moments when you’re more motivated than others. However, as long as you remember that health is about long term goals and benefits, you’ll be more inclined to stay on the healthy path for good.